In Gorakhpur, the peri-urban farmers have turned innovators, using an effective synergy of science, indigenous traditional knowledge and their own inherent practical wisdom. These farmers have proven that peri-urban farming can be remunerative and their livelihoods both profitable and resilient. This peri-urban agriculture strategy has worked successfully in Gorakhpur where land use patterns have not changed, and the open and green spaces have been conserved and are proving to serve as buffers against flood situations.

Who are these farmers and what are these strategies that helped them? What was their approach and how did it make help make their farming economically viable? A quick look at 3 such farmers.

These initiatives are an outcome of a project titled ‘Enhancing Climate Resilience of Gorakhpur city by Buffering Floods through Climate Resilient Peri-urban Agriculture’, supported by The Rockefeller Foundation, USA.

Seeds of resilience: Ram Nagina Create bar charts

Seeds of resilience: Rajendra Prasad Create your own infographics

Seeds of resilience: Harichandra Create your own infographics

This is the third series of real life stories of peri-urban farmers, originally featured in the booklet ‘Peri-Urban Agriculture & Ecosystems: Resilient Narratives’ by Gorakhpur Environmental Action Group (GEAG), 2016